Job 33

Elihu Rebukes Job

1 "But now, please hear my speeches,*Or "my sentences," or "what I have to say" Job,

and hear*Or "give ear to" all my words.

2 Please look, I open my mouth;

my tongue in my mouth speaks.

3 My words declare my heart’s uprightness,

and my lips sincerely speak what my lips know.*Literally "the knowledge of my lips"

4 The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of Shaddai gives life to me.

5 "If you are able, answer me.

Present your argument before me;*Literally "to the face of me" take your stand.

6 Look, before God I am like you;*Literally "I am like your mouth"

I myself was also formed from clay.

7 Look, dread of me should not terrify you,

and my hand will not be heavy upon you.

8 "Surely you have spoken in my ears,

and I have heard the sound of your words:*Or "sentences," or "what you say"

9 ‘I am clean, without transgression;

I am pure, and there is no guilt in me.

10 Look, he finds fault against me;

he reckons me as his enemy;

11 he puts my feet in the block;

he watches all my paths.’

12 "Look, in this you are not right—I will answer you:

Indeed, God is greater than a human being.

13 Why do you contend against him,

that he will not answer all a person’s words?

14 Indeed, God speaks in one way,

even*Hebrew "and" in two,*Or "time and again" (NJPS, HCSB) yet someone does not perceive it.

15 "In a dream, a vision of the night,

when a deep sleep falls on men slumbering on their bed,

16 then he opens the ear of men,

and he frightens them with a warning*Literally "with their warning he frightens"

17 to turn human beings aside from their deeds,

and he keeps man from pride.

18 He spares his life from the pit

and his life from passing over the river of death.

19 "And he is reproved with pain on his bed,

even*Hebrew "and" with the strife of his bones continually,

20 so that*Hebrew "and" his life loathes bread,

and his inner self*Or "soul" loathes appetizing food.*Literally "food of desire"

21 His flesh is wasted away from sight,

and his bones, which are invisible, are bared.

22 And he*Literally "his inner self/soul" draws near to the pit

and his life to the killers.

23 "If there is a messenger beside him, a mediator, one of a thousand,*That is, "unique," or "one of a kind"

to declare to a human being his uprightness

24 so that*Hebrew "and" he is gracious to him, and he says,

‘Deliver him from descending into the pit;

I have found a ransom.’

25 His flesh is renewed with his youth;

he returns to the days of his youthful strength.

26 He prays to God, then he accepts him,

and he sees his face with a shout of joy,

and he repays to the human being his righteousness.

27 "He will sing to men, and he will say,

‘I have sinned and have perverted what is right,

and it was not paid back to me.

28 He redeemed my life from going down into the pit,

so*Hebrew "and" I will enjoy the light.’*Literally "my life in the light will see"

29 Look, God does all these things

twice, three times*Or "time and again," or "oftentimes" (NASB, NASU), or "several times" with a person

30 to bring his life back from the pit

so that he may enjoy the light of life.*Literally "to be lighted with the light of the life"

31 "Listen attentively, Job; listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say,*Literally "If there are words," or "If there are sentences" answer me;*Literally "return to me"

speak, for I desire to justify you.*Literally "your righteousness"

33 If not, you listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."